The present invention relates to a harness safety alarm. In particular, the present invention relates to a harness safety alarm that can provide a warning when a safety harness, such as a seat belt, is undone or uncoupled.
It is a legislative requirement of many countries that the occupants of motor vehicles be restrained by seat belts. For example, in Australia, it is compulsory that all persons travelling in a motor vehicle must wear a seat belt. The only exception to this law relates to a small number of people suffering from certain medical conditions. Similarly, most States in the United States of America now require that seat belts be worn. Although adults and older children readily accept the necessity of being restrained, a difficulty can arise with younger children who are physically capable of undoing seat belts but lack the understanding of the importance of always wearing the seat belts when travelling in a motor vehicle (in this context, xe2x80x9cseat beltsxe2x80x9d includes safety harnesses on children""s car seats as well as normal seat belts). Consequently, there is a risk that young children may undo their seat belt whilst the motor vehicle is in motion without the driver or parents being aware of this occurrence. The presence of an unrestrained child in the motor vehicle during travel is obviously not safe.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a harness alarm that will give a warning in the event that a safety harness, such as a seat belt, is undone or uncoupled.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a harness safety alarm for use with a harness that includes a buckle means for closing the harness, said buckle means including a first connecting means for connecting to a second connecting means, the alarm including a magnetic proximity sensor, first attachment means for mounting the proximity sensor to one of the first or second connecting means, a detectable means, second attachment means for mounting the detectable means to the other of the first or second connecting means, said magnetic proximity sensor detecting the presence of the detectable means when said first and second connecting means are coupled, warning means positioned remotely from the magnetic proximity sensor and signalling means for sending a signal between the sensor and the warning means when said magnetic proximity sensor detects that the detectable means is not in close proximity thereto, said signal causing said warning means to emit an audible and/or visual warning
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a harness safety alarm for use with the harness that includes a buckle means for closing the harness, said buckle means including a first connecting means for connecting to a second connecting means, the alarm including sensing means for sensing when the first and connecting means are buckled up and for sensing seperation of the first and second sensing means, a warning means positioned remotely from the sensing means, signalling means for sending a signal between the sensing means and the warning means, wherein said sensing means causes a signal to be sent to the warning means when the sensing means senses that the first and second connecting means are seperated, and said signal causes said warning means to emit an audible and/or visual warning, and programmed means for detecting when the harness has been buckled up, said programmed means sending an activation signal to the warning means to activate the warning means when the programmed means detects that the harness has been buckled up.
The sensing means is preferably positioned on or adjacent to one of the first or second joining means.
Preferably, the buckle means includes a clasping means that clasps onto a tongue means, as is commonly used in car seat belts and child restraints. For convenience, the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to this embodiment.
The sensing means is preferably positioned on or adjacent to the clasping means. The sensing means maybe constructed as a separate unit and affixed to the clasping means by any suitable means, such as the use of an adhesive, the provision of straps having hook and loop type fasteners (eg velcro straps), one or more belts having buckle-type fasteners or by providing the sensing means with any other suitable mounting means for mounting the sensing means to the clasping means. In this embodiment the alarm may be an after-market fitment to existing safety harnesses and motor vehicles. In this embodiment, the sensing means may further comprise attachment means for attaching the sensing means to the clasping means.
In another embodiment the sensing means is built into the clasping means. In this embodiment, the alarm may be an original equipment fitment to car seat belts or child restraint seats.
The sensing means preferably comprises a proximity sensor that senses when the tongue means is positioned close to the clasping means. More preferably, the sensing means comprises a proximity sensor that senses the presence of the tongue means when the tongue means is inserted into the clasping means. When the tongue means is removed from the clasping means, the sensing means senses that the tongue means is no longer close to the sensing means and activates the warning means.
The proximity sensor may comprise a magnetic proximity sensor. Such devices are known and include a magnetic field generation means that produces a magnetic field. Passing a metallic object into or through the magnetic field disrupts the magnetic field and electronics in the proximity sensor can detect that change. The warning means may then be activated.
The alarm may further comprise a detectable means that is detectable by the proximity sensor. The detectable means may comprise a metallic object positioned on or adjacent to the tongue means, or a magnet positioned on or adjacent to the tongue means. The detectable means ensures that the proximity detector detects when the tongue means is removed from the clasp by improving the sensitivity of the sensing means. The detactable means is preferably a separate unit to the tongue means. The detectable means preferably further comprises attachment means for attaching the detectable means to the tongue means. The attachment means may comprise one or more straps having hook and loop fasteners, one or more belts having buckle type fasteners, or an adhesive.
The alarm means also includes a warning means. In its simplest form, the warning means comprises an audible warning means for providing an audible warning should the harness be undone or uncoupled.
In a more preferred embodiment, the warning means includes an audible warning means and a visual warning means. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the warning means comprises a warning unit positioned remotely from the sensing means. In this embodiment the warning unit may be suitably positioned on the dashboard of the motor vehicle or otherwise in the driver""s line of sight. The warning unit may provide a visual warning and/or an audible warning to the driver. By positioning the warning unit close to the driver or in the driver""s line of sight, the chances of the warning going unheeded are slight. The warning means preferably further comprises mounting means for maintaining the warning means to the dashboard of a vehicle.
The apparatus may further comprise signalling means for sending a signal between the sensing means and the warning means. The signalling means at least sends a signal to the warning means when the proximity sensor detects that the tongue means is not in close proximity to the clasping means, for example, when the seat belt has been undone. More preferably, the signalling means essentially continuously sends a signal to the warning unit to provide an indication of the status of the seat belt at all times that the alarm is activated. In particular, the warning unit is preferably provided with a status indicator that indicates the status of the seat belt. The status indicator may comprise a green light that is lit when the seat belt is done up and a red light that is lit when die seat belt is undone. Preferably, an audible alarm also sounds when the seat belt is undone. The warning unit may also include an on/off switch for selectively activating and deactivating the warning unit.
The signalling means preferably sends a radio frequency signal to the warning unit. For example, the sensing means may include a radio transmitter that sends a radio signal to a radio receiving means in the warning unit. It will be appreciated that frequencies other than radio frequencies may also be used. Alternatively, the signalling means may pass along one or more wires between the sensing means and the warning means.
The warning unit may also provide a warning in the event that no signal is received from the signalling means (which may mean that the signalling means has no power).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the sensing means comprises an electrical circuit means which can form a closed circuit only when the safety harness is buckled, said electrical circuit means forming an open circuit when the safety harness is undone or uncoupled. Preferably, the electrical circuit means includes a receiving means for receiving a circuit closure means, the circuit closure means being insertable in the receiving means when the safety harness is done up, and the circuit closure means being removed from the receiving means when the seat belt is undone or uncoupled. The warning means will be activated in this embodiment when the sensing means detects an open circuit. The circuit closure means preferably comprises a pin positioned on or adjacent to the tongue means, with the pin being received in a complimentary shaped opening in the sensing means. In this embodiment, the sensing means is positioned on or adjacent to the clasping means. Preferably, the pin is connected to the tongue means or to the webbing or belt that holds the tongue means such that uncoupling the seat belt also removes the pin from the receiving means.
In another embodiment the circuit is an open circuit when the seat belt is done up and undoing the seat belt closes the circuit which activates the warning means. In this embodiment, a pin made from an electrically insulating material may be inserted into a receiving means, which pin acts to separate two contact points or plates that form part of the electrical circuit. Removal of the pin allows the contact points or plates to contact each other to thereby close the circuit.
It will be appreciated, of course, that in all embodiments of the invention where a particular feature of the apparatus is described as being positioned on one of the clasping means or tongue means and that feature interacts with another feature positioned on the other of the tongue means or clasping means, the invention will work equally as well if those particular features are positioned on the other of the clasping means or the tongue means.
The alarm may also be provided with a power source, which is most preferably a battery. The alarm may also be wired into the car""s electrical system, if desired.
The alarm may also include an on/off switch to selectively operate the alarm. This allows the alarm to be turned off if no-one is travelling in that seat of the car. More advanced embodiments may include weight sensors in the seat for detecting if that seat is occupied and switching means for switching on the alarm if the seat is occupied. The switching means may be an automatic switching means.
In embodiments where the alarm includes a proximity sensor, the alarm may include programmed means for detecting when a seat belt has been done up, said programmed means sending an activation signal to the warning unit to turn on the warning unit. The programmed means may also include timer means for automatically turning off the warning unit a predetermined time (eg 10 minutes) after the alarm has detected that the seat belt has been undone. In such a case, the alarm interprets that removal of the seat belt without it being done up again within the predetermined period as meaning that the trip has been completed and the motor vehicle is now empty.
The sensing means may also include automatic on/off means that switches the sensing means on when the tongue is inserted into the buckle and turns the sensing means off a predetermined time, eg 10 minutes, after the sensing means indicates that the tongue has been removed from the buckle.
The warning means may also include an automatic on/off switch for turning off the warning means a predetermined time after detection of the seat belt undone or a predetermined time after the sensing means stops transmitting a signal to the warning means.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated that the accompanying drawings are provided for the purpose of illustrating the invention and that the invention should not be considered as limited to the embodiments as shown in the drawings.